Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1887-11-07

Colonel Marden, the portly chair
man, replied to the question briefly.
Il hope" he continued with great
dignity, Il hope there is no mis-
apprehension on the part of any mem
Der concerning t e ann, object, and
design of our public schools. They
are for the instruction of the Young,
sir; for the benefit of the rising gem
Grafton, and not, [ beg leave to state,
for the employment OF a few ladies and
! gentlemen at salaries disproportionate
to services rendered"
.,Oh, certainly. certainly" replied
the new member; 81 merely asked for
information"
You class the two ladies together |
/ notice" remarked another. ''Do you
consider them equally Objectionable in
the schoolroom?"
81 make no distinction, replied the
chairman loftily. DOUBTLESS they
have excellent traits, but these may
not contribute to efficiency in the
. scoOlrOOm."
Il should give Miss Hunt the prefer
ence," observed Mr.. Cotton, not a new
member of the board
Il wish to repeat the remark made
previous to this interruption" said
! Colonel Marden. The two ladies in
question, Miss Olds and Miss Hunt,
have served us in capacity of teachers
long enough, the limit has been reached,
gentlemen; the usefulness and eff
cheney and capacity"
Colonel Marden'S dictatorial manner
did not invite discussions; and differ
ence of opinion, if expressed, might
tend toward dIscord that it would be
we'll to avoid; at least so thought DR..
HolbrOOk.
''Tnev have been teaching here a
| good many years. he ventured to say;
II think they have rendered valuable
service.
YES. sir. they haze been teaching
many years; a good many gears, sir, )"
replied Colonel Marden with increased
energy. ''Do You consider that fact,
sir, valid reason for continuing them
| in their positions?
''Oh, no, no. said Dr. Holbrook,
meekly; Il merely mentioned the
| fact"
''Our time is passing" said the
chairman. 1--WE will proceed to vote
upon this question of reappointment."
The vote was Gaken, several members
declining to east their votes; and
the two experienced, faithful teachers
4dll6I VI Itdp I1OlllliIlcIll'
''By the way" said DR.. Holbrook, as
| he was about to leave the room, Il
was called to see Miss Olds last even
| ing, and found her quite i'll If this
matter of notifying the teachers can
be postponed for few days it will be
a kindness"
'It's quite time she left teaching"
replied the chairman; ''she's worn
out"
The superintendent who was acting
as secretary, said, at can be done, sir;
! l will delay the matter until such a
time as you suggest"
''DO So" said the Doctor. 81 hope
her illness may not prove serious"
A few hours later DR.. HOlbroOk sat
/ by the bed side of Mss Olds in whose
| interest he had spoken. She was not
! old. Had she been wife and mother
| her life would have been called in its
prime He noticed the lines of care,
/ the hollow temples, the gray hair; he
/ saw the weary signs of economy in the
! home, that a meager salary had scarce
/ ly sufficed to maintain. He noted the
rapid pulse of his patient, and realized
possibility that she might be spared
the stroke that would fall with crush
| ing weight. Il would have spared
/ her" thought the Doctor, ''but He who
careth for the sparrow has not for
! gotten her"
Miss Olds opened her eyes, and her
wandering mind for moment recog-
nized DR.. HOlbroOke. Il am glad to
see vOu," she said; ''the term has
been long, but the examinations are
over now and vacation is close at hand.
Is it true, Doctor. that | am to have a
long vacations"
Dr. Holbrook turned hastily away.
A memorial service was held at the
school where Miss Olds had been a
teacher. Several members of the
School Board were present and spoke
feelingly of her faithful service, and of
the loss the school had sustained in the
death of Miss Olds. Tears were shed
by teachers and pupils, who, by loving
words of appreciation, showed their
affection for their friend.
Miss Hunt sat with bowed head
alone in her room. Upon her table
Law the communication she had re-
ceived from the School Board. Her
work, too, was done,-her place in
school vacant, but there were no words
of appreciation of the long, faithful
service. She thought of the darkened
room where. with peaceful, rested look,
she had seen her friend. Better so"
she cried; chad | died, l, too, might
have received some recognition of ser
vice performed; but because t9Ue and
think and feel, | am denied them. The
words of appreciation that failed to
reach her deaf ear would have helped
and comforted her once. 1t is better
to Law down the burden" A living,
sensitive soul was denied what had
been bestowed, without stint, upon
one who no longer needed their utter
ance.
DR.. Holbrook, impressed by the
death of Miss Olds, read in the sad eyes
of Miss Hunt her pain and disappolnt-
ment ''We are unjust, he SAID; 'be-
/ cause she lives she should not be
! denied what we willingly cOncede the
! dead
When, at the next meeting of the
board in pursuance of time-honored
custom, the question of resolutions re-
| latiye to the loss of a faithful teacher
was brought before the board. all felt
| the embarrassment the po itiOn, and
when DIR. Holbrooh eloquently pre-
| sented the claim of Miss Hunt to like
! recognition, even Colonel Marden ac'
! knOwledged the justice OF the position
| But he continued, with less than
usual diguiLy, ''in commenting Mss
Hunt we place ourselves in very
| equivocal position, gentlemen-a very
equlvocIl position.
MAY ask why Miss Hunt was re-
moved?" meekly inquired the new
member Was a reason assigned"
The question was now fully opened.
| The death of Mss Olds following 50
closely upon tneIr action had impressed
even the chairman, and DR.. HoIbrook
! had little difficulty in securing the re-
appointment of Miss Hunt to the
position she had so long occupied. 1T
will be lifelong lesson to me" sad
the kind Doctor. .'We eulogize the
dead while re withhold merited APP
probation, and even sympathy, from
the living. Corporations are said TO De
without souls, but we ought pot to
shelter ourselves behind the body
polite and act in IA manner unbecom-
ing Christian gentlemen. Individual
acts OF Kindness and politenesS should
strike through and reflect credit upon
the noble whole. -.J0aGr7laL of Educa-